Lauren Dorsett, M.S., MCHES - Assistant Director
As Assistant Director, Lauren guides the Health Promotion staff in every endeavor. Lauren earned both her Bachelor of Science in Community Health and her Master of Science in Health Education from Texas A&M University and has 11 years of health education experience. She builds curriculum, develops programming, monitors assessment efforts, and supervises and advises students and staff. Lauren is especially proud of her efforts in shaping Health Promotion's mission, vision, purpose, and goals; developing a strategic plan for the direction of the office; and opening opportunities for staff to grow professionally. She loves seeing how far Health Promotion's reach spans across the university, the community, and beyond! In her free time, Lauren loves spending time with her family and watching her children grow and learn. Her hobbies include reading fiction and romance novels and admiring the art of hand lettering.
Denise Crisafi, Ph.D. - Program Coordinator of Interpersonal Violence Prevention
Dr. Denise Crisafi is the Program Coordinator of Interpersonal Violence Prevention in the Office of Health Promotion. Dr. Crisafi received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Central Florida where her research specialized in intimate partner violence prevention, gender-based discrimination, community-based prevention programming, poverty and homelessness, and public policy. She also received her M.A. in Applied Sociology-Domestic Violence Track and B.S. in Psychology from the University of Central Florida. She joined Texas A&M University in 2018 following her role as the Community Partnerships Coordinator for the Orange County Take Stock in Children program, a non-profit organization operating in connection with Valencia State College. Previously, she also served as the Coordinator of Research and Civic Engagement in The Burnett Honors College at the University of Central Florida. Within Health Promotion, she is responsible for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of interpersonal violence prevention programming; working with campus and community partners to bring awareness to interpersonal violence prevention campaigns, events, and resources; developing training materials and delivering training sessions; and supervising the outstanding work of the Interpersonal Violence Prevention Specialists. Outside of work, she has a vast appreciation for locally sourced food and wineries, music, independent film, and art. She enjoys any opportunity to travel and explore new places.
Sarah Beth Heiar, M.S. - Program Coordinator for Alcohol and Drug Prevention
Sarah Beth is originally from Mississippi. She received her BA in Strategic Communication from the University of Arkansas Little Rock and her MS in Food Science, Nutrition & Health Promotion from Mississippi State University. Previously she served as the Fitness and Adaptive Recreation Coordinator at Arizona State University. She joined Texas A&M in 2018 and is responsible for the planning, implementation and evaluation of alcohol and drug prevention programming. Outside of work she enjoys anything fitness-related, but especially swimming, weight-lifting, hiking, yoga and dance classes. She is also an avid traveler, reader, and baker.
Ryan Jackson, M.Ed. - Interpersonal Violence Prevention Specialist
Ryan is one of the Interpersonal Violence Prevention Specialists within Health Promotion. He is a cheesehead by birth, coming from Milwaukee, WI. He completed his Bachelor's Degree in Political Communication at Marquette University before earning an M.Ed. in College Student Affairs Leadership from Grand Valley State University. While at Grand Valley, Ryan wrote his thesis on men's role in ending sexual violence. Ryan came to Texas A&M in 2013 and joined what is now the Health Promotion office in 2015. He is responsible for the oversight of the Green Dot Bystander Intervention Training Program and the STAND Up workshop, as well as leading a lot of outreach efforts such as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). His spare time is often spent hanging with his wife and dog, watching college basketball, playing video games, or hiking local state parks.
Marigold Hudock, M.S. - Health Promotion Specialist
Marigold serves as a Health Promotion Specialist for the office. Originally born in San Antonio, Texas, Marigold attended The University of Texas at Austin for her undergraduate degree and received a Bachelor of Arts in Plan II and English. She then switched school loyalties and became an Aggie at Texas A&M University where she received a Master of Science in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education. Marigold's previous experience and expertise includes advising student groups, violence prevention, and building and facilitating curriculum. Her main duties in Health Promotion include alcohol and other drug prevention, overseeing the implementation of the LessThanUThink campaign, and advising the Aggie Recovery Community. The best parts of her job are the students she works with and empowering them to achieve their goals. In her spare time, Marigold can be found at local dog parks with her chunky and funky dog, Saucy the basset hound.
Kaysey Aguilar, MPH, CHES - Health Promotion Specialist
Kaysey serves as a Health Promotion Specialist for the Health Promotion office. After graduating from the University of Texas - Pan American with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, she came to the Texas A&M School of Public Health to pursue a Master's degree in Health Promotion. In addition to Biology and Health Promotion, Kaysey has also taken classes in Psychology and has a strong interest in health behavior and mental health. Throughout her time in higher education, she has engaged in public health research, volunteering, and work, developing an understanding of community needs and how to address them. When not working to improve Aggie health, you can find her reading, doing crafts, studying Spanish, or learning interesting skills and facts.
Suzanne Swierc, MPH, CHES - Health Promotion Specialist
Suzanne joined the Health Promotion team in 2017 with nearly five years of health education experience. Suzanne holds a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Foods from Texas State University and a master’s degree in Public Health from Texas A&M University. Some of her roles in Health Promotion include overseeing the Sex in the Dark program, advising two student organizations (The Sex Project and the College Diabetes Network), and working with students one-on-one to reach their wellness-related goals. Suzanne particularly enjoys learning about and teaching sexual health, nutrition, and healthy sleep. Suzanne is a proud Hufflepuff who also enjoys making friends, public speaking, giving presentations, and leading trainings. Suzanne teaches 2nd grade religion at church and is also an accomplished seamstress. She loves baking, dancing, reading, and Taylor Swift.
Taylor Tyson, M.Ed. - Interpersonal Violence Prevention Specialist
Taylor serves as a Violence Prevention Specialist in the office. She is originally from Michigan and completed her Bachelor of Science from Central Michigan University. She then went south to complete her Master's in Higher Education Counseling with a concentration in Student Affairs from Clemson University. She has spent time working in Sheffield, England and Sydney, Australia before making College Station home. She is currently working on a Graduate Certificate Program in Diversity, Social Justice, and Inclusion, through the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Her main responsibilities include designing, implementing, and evaluating presentations and workshops around sexual violence prevention. She also advises the Student Anti-Violence Educators (SAVE). In her free time, Taylor can be found outdoors with her dachshund, Sven or traveling to somewhere new.
Angela C. Guerra - Administrative Associate
Angela has been working in an educational environment for the past 15 years, from working with preschool, public school, and the last three years with Texas A&M. She recently completed a certificate program through Texas A&M University to help further her career. Students are her passion and being an advocate for any child/student who wants to succeed. She is a proud parent of three beautiful, grown children. In her spare time, she enjoys sewing, home decorating and decorating shows, and doing the little things for her own kids just to see them smile.
Katie Dash, CHES - Graduate Assistant
Katie serves as Health Promotion's Graduate Assistant. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Health with an emphasis in Community Health from Texas A&M in 2017. Upon graduation, Katie was selected by faculty and staff as the Community Health Honor Undergraduate. She is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Health Education and teacher certification from Texas A&M. Katie is also a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) with a strong passion for helping others through the health field. In her free time, Katie loves attending concerts, exploring airports, and playing with her two pups, Jack and Sally.
Megan Buck, CHES - Student Assistant
Megan is a second-year graduate student studying Health Education with interests in bisexual health, health communication, and sexuality in general. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Health with a minor in Sociology from Texas A&M and served as President of The Sex Project for the 2016-2017 academic year. Megan is approaching her three-year anniversary with Health Promotion. She is fascinated by science and research and aims to decrease health disparities through her work in the field. Megan loves iced coffee, interior design, McElroy podcasts, and hip hop. Her projects include directing a review of our brochures and handouts, managing the website, creating graphics, and organizing the Wellness Spotlight!
Peyton Bonner - Student Assistant
Peyton is a senior Community Health major and Psychology minor. She has been a member of the Health Promotion team for two years now and will be graduating in May. Peyton enjoys hanging out with friends and family, Aggie football, running, and going on fun adventures.
Allison Bryant - Student Assistant
Allison is a Junior Allied Health major with a Women’s and Genders Studies minor from Houston, Texas. She is a member of a women’s organization, Texas A&M Legacies working to empower women in the Bryan/College Station community. She is also serving as the Director of Fundraising for Aggie Miracle, raising money for life-saving equipment at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. After college, Allison is pursuing a career in Women’s and Children’s Health. Allison loves bad karaoke, spending time outdoors, and her dog, Leonidas.
Kayla Hood - Student Assistant
Kayla Hood is a Junior Psychology major with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies from Houston, TX. She is a director for the MSC Carter G. Woodson Black Awareness Committee (WBAC), which serves to expose Texas A&M’s campus to the different issues that African Americans face around the world as well as educate and explore ways in which our community can become more united. She is also one of the founding members of A&M’s chapter of the Triota National Honor Society for Women’s and Gender Studies. Once she graduates, she plans to obtain her Master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and start her own consulting firm. Kayla absolutely loves her family, friends, and chocolate.
Kendyl Mull - Student Project Coordinator
Kendyl is a senior Sociology major with a minor in Public Health. In addition to serving as the student lead for the LessThanUThink campaign, she is also the Education Director for The Sex Project on campus. She is fascinated by human behavior and is eager to make mental health a priority on campus. After she graduates in May, she plans to pursue a career in mental health to promote wellness of the entire person. In her free time, you can find her reading non-fiction, spending time outdoors, attempting to cook, and cuddling with her orange tabby, Theo.